US1178869A - Overlay for half-tone printing. - Google Patents

Description

J. B. NEALE. OVERLAY FOR HALE TONE PRINTING.

APPLICATWN FILED AUG.14,1915.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

'UNHED sirarus raruur; curios.

JOHN B. NEALE, or BATTLE annex, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB, or ONE-HALF TO ram) W,

GAGE, or BATTLE REEK, MICHIGAN.

OVERLAY FOR HALF-TONE PRINTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

} Application filed August 14, 1915. Serial No. 45,580.. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. NEALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ()verlays for Half- Tone Printing and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de: scription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention or discovery relates to the art ofprinting, and has particular reference to the producing of fine high grade illustrated -work commonly called half-tone printing; and the object of the present inyention is to enable such half-tone printing to be effected in a superior manner, and to be successfully produced upon grades of paper, such as uncoated book paper and ordinary newspaper stock, which it has heretofore been considered impractical to use for such printing; but my invention will enable excellent results to be produced from ordinary half-tone cuts on the commonest grade of newspaper stock.

Another object is to reduce the amount of labor, time and skill required in making ready the press for such kind of printing, and to enable superior half-tone printing to be-produced on ordinary presses.

The principal and basic feature of my invention or discovery is that by making or providing overlays with a measurably yielding cushioned or resilient surface, as compared with the hard. unyielding overlays heretofore employed, greatly superior results are obtained in printing, such results being primarily due to the said resilient or cushion surface of the overlay.

The invention or discovery may be practically utilized in two ways as follows:

First, by providing any of the ordinary known makes of overlays with a resilient or cushioning surface, which may, as applied to such overlays, be formed of a thin sheet 0f soft rubber vulcanized, or of an equivalent cushioning material, applied over the face of the overlay; so that all, the points and shades of gradations of pressure which would be ordinarily caused by the overlay cushioning surface noticeably compensates for any minute surface irregularities in the paper or material being printed, which a hard unyielding surface overlay could not do, and this cushioning or compensating quality of theoverlay is particularly important when printlng poor grades of paper,

such as newspaper. Such a resilient surface or sheet may be attached directly tothe Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

overlay by any suitable means.'or it may be attached to the cylinder packing directly opposite the overlay so as to be properly positioned relative thereto. Where a yielding cushion surface, such as rubber, is applied to a metallic or other hard overlay, it may be attached thereto by vulcanizing or by means of paste, glue, cement or other'adhesive, provided that same will not interfere with or prevent the desired resiliency of the surface of the overlay. Such a resilient or yielding cushioning surface is applicable to many of the commonly used forms of make-ready, such as the Gilbert Harris metallic, the so-called chalk process, the Bierstadt-De Vinne, or even the hand-cut paper overlay. The invention when so utilized combines an element of surface resiliency or cushioning with the known forms of hard make-ready usually employed, and will produce superior and hitherto unattainable effects from half-tone plates uponcheap grades of newspaper, or rough-surfaced papers, upon which paper it has previously been impossible to produce impressions of the artistic character and quality produced by the use of my invention, it having heretofore been an accepted maxim of the trade that highly surfaced paper is v lays to crack, bend, or emboss the paper being printed. I

Second: The invention may be utilized by making the overlay itself of resilient or cushioning material, such asrubber. Such an overlay can be produced in the following manner. An inked proof is. taken from the original half-tone plate from which-it is intended to print, and while fresh is given a coating of bronze, or other suitable finely divided opaque powder. This proof is then used as a negative for printing upon the sensitized surface of a metal plate (properly is then made from said etched plate in the usual way by pressure and heat, by any suitable means, and vulcanized sufficiently firm or hard to retain the desired gradations and toning effects of an overlay, but retaining in itself sutiicient resilience or yielding properties to give the desired cushioning effect. In use the overlay provided with a resilient cushioned surface, or the integral resilient cushioned overlay above referred to, is placed upon the cylinder or platen of the press-just as an ordinary overlay would be placed. The superior. results obtained in printing by using my invention are due to the yielding or cushioning nature of the surface of the overlay, and not to any novelty in the placing of the overlay in the press, or novelty in the mode ,of operating the press after the overlay is in position.

The ordinary overlays are usually buried under a varying number of sheets of tympan paper, but I have found that this is not essential whenusing my invention; that is,-were it not for the liability of mechanical injury overlays embodying my invention might be placed on. top of the tympan sheets and still be effective for some classes of work. The rubber sheet or cushioning surface is most effective when placed in contact with the hard overlay which it cushions; so that it will transmit directly the varying pressure which the overlay is intended to give.

,Upon some classes of printing it might be expedient to interpose more or less tympan paper between the rubber-surfaced overlay and the material to be printed. to obviate any tendency to over-effect. This is common practice with any ordinary make-ready,

and in my invention the resilient or cushioned surface when used in combination with hard make-ready will produce the de-. sired effects. Though preferably placed in that position, the cushioning surface does not of necessity have to be in direct contact with the hard overlay. Should the hard overlay be found insuliicient a patch sheet orauXiliary'overlay would naturally be fitted directly upon the original hard overlay as usual in order that the augmented pressure would be placed exactly where desired.

- Pressmen will readily understand the many factors which enter into the production of a perfectly printed sheen-which may require minor changes of make-ready which do not alter the underlying principle of the invention. The resilient or cushioning surface is therefor subject to such variations of position and hardness as will produce the bestresults, as there is no fixed degree of resiliency or resistance that will yield unvarying results upon all classes of printing.

ith such novel overlays I am able to produce beautiful high-grade half-tone printess of lithography now employed where fine illustrations must be shown. upon bond or ledger papers upon which it has hitherto been considered impossible to print success fully half-tone work.

I have conventionally illustrated an overlay embodying the invention and one method of using same in the accompanying drawings; in which Figure l is'a face View of an overlay 3 with a resilient cushioning surface d; and Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation showing how such an overlay is ordinarily an ranged when in position for use.

In said drawings the parts are greatly magnified and distorted to facilitate a ready comprehension thereof.

1 designates part of the cylinder or platen; 2 the packing, 3 the overlay and 4: the resilient or yielding surface or sheet superposed on said overlay; 5 the tympan and 6 the draw sheet, this arrangement being such as is customarily employed on cylinders preparatory to printing.

The'heavily shaded portions a, b, c, in the example Fig. 1 indicate where the heaviest pressure is imparted through the corresponding portions (1', Z), 0, of the overlay, Fig. 2; and the shaded portions d, e, Fig. 1 show where medium pressure is imparted through the corresponding portions 01, e of the overlay Fig. 2..

I do not herein claim the integral or selfcontained resilient cushioning overlay, as that forms the subject-matter of a companion application.

What I claim is:

1. For use in producing high-grade halftone printing, an overlay provided with a resilient or cushioning surface.

2i For producing high-grade half-tone printing upon ordinary newspaper stock, an overlay having a resilient surface formed of cushioning material.

3. For producing high-grade half-tone printing upon ordinary newspaper stock, an (fwerlay having a resilient cushioning surace.

4. An overlay, having a cushioning surface of rubber.-

5. An overlay comprising a hard body and a surface of resilient cushioning material, substantially as described.

6. An overlay for the purpose specified, comprising a hard body and a surface formed by a sheet of resilient cushioning material, substantially as described.

' 7. In combination, an overlay and a re Silient cushioning sheet or surface opposite the face of the overlay adapted to transmit the varying pressure which the overlay is intended to give, substantially as described.

8. In combination, an overlay and a resilient sheet of suitable material, operatively of the overlay for the purpose and substan- 'tially as specified.

10. In combination, a hard overlay and a thin resilient sheet or cushioning surface of suitable material operatively positioned opposite the face of the overlay to transmit the;

varying pressure Which the overlay is intended to give. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, Iafiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

p JOHN B. NEALE. Witnesses I FRED' W. GAGE, THERESA T.- GIBBONS,

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